Taylor Swift fan's cause of death determined; father hopes those responsible are "punished"

Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

The Taylor Swift fan who passed away after attending the singer's November 17 concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil died of a heart attack, ABC News has learned.

A police statement stays that Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23, lost consciousness while at Milton Santos stadium, where the heat index read 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Paramedics attempted to revive her, and she was then transported to a local hospital, where, police say, she died of a heart attack shortly afterwards. An investigation into her death has been opened, the police added.

Meanwhile, Ana Clara's father, Weiny Machadotold a local paper, "I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl ... I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead."

Machada wants to learn if there was "negligence in providing assistance" to fans who requested water during the show.  Fans claimed that they were not allowed to bring water into the stadium.

"I know that [Taylor] was handing out water to her fans, and that is absurd for an event of this size," said Machado. "Nothing will bring my daughter back, but I hope that, if negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished, so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else."

On social media, a fan posted a video of Taylor performing that same night, and it seemed she was struggling to breathe herself.  Following Ana Clara's death, which Taylor said left her with a "shattered heart," she postponed the following night's show until November 20 due to the soaring temperatures.

As a result, Taylor, who'd planned to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night with her parents, won't be able to attend the game, according to ETOnline.

Monday, November 20, 2023 at 6:00AM by Andrea Dresdale Permalink